ACLU says magistrate can't order 'Messiah' name change

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) A Tennessee judge should not have barred a couple from naming their child “Messiah,” said the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/13/aclu-says-magistrate-cant-order-messiah-name-change/

See also...

What's In A Name?: Tenn. Judge Changes Baby's Moniker Because It Could Offend Christians
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-s-in-a-name-tenn-judge-changes-baby-s-moniker-because-it-could-offend

People pray at tree outside St. Johns Cathedral in Fresno, California, say tree weeps God's tears

Experts: Tree drips with bug excrement, not tears.

MORE: http://www.wptv.com//dpp/news/national/People-pray-at-tree-outside-St-Johns-Cathedral-in-Fresno-California-say-tree-weeps-Gods-tears

Due to (Paranoid) Religious Concerns, Christian Family Sails Out of America... and Gets Stranded

Not long ago, Hannah Gastonguay and her husband Sean concluded, for no rational reason, that the government was interfering too much in their religious life.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/10/due-to-paranoid-religious-concerns-christian-family-sails-out-of-america-and-gets-stranded/

'Mystery Priest' Who Appeared at Scene of Accident is Revealed to be... an Actual Priest

So who was that priest?

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/12/mystery-priest-who-appeared-at-scene-of-accident-is-revealed-to-be-an-actual-priest/

See also...

Why Do People See Guardian Angels?
http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/why-people-see-guardian-angels-130813.htm

'Celebrate Freedom Week' raises cheers and eyebrows

The idea is modeled after a similar law enacted in Texas at the urging of Rick Green, a former state lawmaker and evangelical Christian who travels the country promoting the role of God in the public square.

MORE: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/13/4408787/celebrate-freedom-week-raises.html

See also...

A Week Off?: New Religious Right-Inspired Event Promotes Bad History
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-week-off-new-religious-right-inspired-event-promotes-bad-history

Oklahoma Can't "Save" Itself from the U.S. Constitution

Last week, a federal court struck down the "Save Our State Amendment," sending an important reminder that "[w]hile the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out, ... the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual's constitutional rights."

MORE: http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security-religion-belief/oklahoma-cant-save-itself-us-constitution

Russell Moore: From Moral Majority to 'Prophetic Minority'

The new leader of the Southern Baptist political arm says Christians have lost the culture and need to act accordingly.

MORE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324769704579010743654111328.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

Wichita Elementary School Takes Down Display About Islam After Conservatives Flip Out

When students attended the first day of school at Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary in Wichita, Kansas last week, they saw a bulletin board displaying the core beliefs of one of the world's largest religions: The Five Pillars of Islam.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/23/wichita-elementary-school-takes-down-display-about-islam-after-conservatives-flip-out/

See also...

Conniption In Kansas: Religious Right Throws Fit Over Muslim Display In Public School
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/conniption-in-kansas-religious-right-throws-fit-over-muslim-display-in

Public School Coalition Welcomes New Poll Showing The Public's Strong Opposition To Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers

The poll, released today by Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup, shows that 70 percent of respondents say they oppose plans to shift public funding into private and religious schools through voucher plans. This is the highest number in the poll's 20-year history.

MORE: http://americanhumanist.org/news/details/2013-08-ncpe-press-release-public-school-coalition-welcomes

Why are almost all Wisconsin voucher schools religious?

The Westside Christian School in Middleton is affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Principal Hank Hoenecke says the school doesn't "shelter kids from evolution at all," but in accordance with WELS doctrine, does teach that Creationism is the true explanation for the Earth's creation.

MORE: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jack_craver/why-are-almost-all-wisconsin-voucher-schools-religious/article_fc89e898-03a1-11e3-896d-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true

See also...

Charter schools in Texas a focus of praise, concerns
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_83e0dae4-03b2-11e3-a04e-0019bb30f31a.html

Churches cheat schools, suit says

Five churches have underpaid the state Department of Education for the use of public school facilities by more than $5.6 million over the past six years, according to a lawsuit unsealed this week in state court.

MORE: http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=219896801&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+staradvertiser_rss+%28Staradvertiser+Headlines%29

Virginia's Right-Wing 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Caught On Tape Lying To Women

An new undercover investigation into Virginia's right-wing "crisis pregnancy centers" (CPCs) exposes the blatant misinformation about women's health, as well as the shame-based messages surrounding sexuality, that their employees typically impart to patients. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia -- which has been working for years to expose the dozens of CPCs in the state -- caught the lies on tape and released their findings on Wednesday.

MORE: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/08/2433511/virginia-cpc-caught-on-tape/

What I Learned Undercover at a Crisis Pregnancy Center

The woman stopped between questions to comment on my answers and lie. "Oh, you've taken birth control. Let me tell you how that causes cancer and is the same a medication abortion." I was told abortion would scar me for the rest of my life -- would damage all of my future relationships and leave me "haunted." I was told the pill could cause breast cancer, that condoms are "naturally porous" and don't protect against STIs, and that IUDs could kill me. She lectured and lied to me for over an hour before I even received the results of my pregnancy test.

--snip--

I think we can all agree that it is wrong to shame someone seeking guidance. It is wrong to lie to someone in order to manipulate her future. It is wrong to treat women like walking wombs. Yet these tactics are core to the mission of Virginia's crisis pregnancy centers. They advertise to scared women who need help, and they claim to offer unbiased information, guidance, and support to those who need it. But instead CPCs treat women the way they treated me -- like disobedient children who need to be schooled in religion and saved from their own decisions. To them a woman is a vessel for a future baby, nothing more.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caitlin-bancroft/crisis-pregnancy-center_b_3763196.html

Judge: Lawsuit Against Anti-Gay Scott Lively Will Move Forward

Scott Lively is the notorious U.S. anti-gay extremist leader of the Abiding Truth Ministries now living in Springfield who owns the Holy Grounds Coffee House located at 455 State Street. Since 2002, Scott Lively has been partnering with the key political and religious leaders of the anti-gay campaign in Uganda, advising anti-gay parliamentarians on legislation targeting the LGBT community and leading conferences about the supposed threats posed by the gay movement. The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 (also know as the "Kill the Gays Bill") was introduced in the Ugandan parliament a month after Lively held meetings and gave a series of lectures asserting that the gay movement in Uganda was "evil" and organized with the purpose of "homosexualizing" children. As in Uganda, Lively has also worked closely with anti-gay leaders and politicians in Russia, Latvia and Moldova, advising them on legislation intended to criminalize any form of LGBT advocacy.

MORE: http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2013/08/15/judge-lawsuit-against-anti-gay-scott-lively-will-move-forward/#

See also...

Evangelical pastor to stand trial in Massachusetts for alleged crimes against humanity
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/14/evangelical-pastor-to-stand-trial-in-massachusetts-for-alleged-crimes-against-humanity/

Senator Presses Forward to Take Tax Exemption from Boy Scouts

The bill would revoke the tax-exempt status of any youth group which discriminates based on gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliation.

MORE: http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/23128948/senator-presses-orward-with-bill-to-take-tax-exemption-from-boy-scouts

A Unanimous Decision for Equality

When a business opens its doors to the public it must comply with anti-discrimination laws, even if doing so offends a business owner's religious beliefs. That's the bottom line in today's unanimous decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court holding that a photography business cannot discriminate against a same-sex couple by refusing, because of the owner's faith, to photograph the couple's commitment ceremony.

MORE: https://www.aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights-religion-belief/unanimous-decision-equality

See also...

Oregon to Probe Baker's Refusal to Make Same-Sex Wedding Cake
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Oregon-Same-Sex-Wedding-Cake/2013/08/14/id/520492

Minnesota vendors queue up for gay-wedding business
http://www.startribune.com/business/219703841.html

COMMENTARY: Refusing service in the name of religion is never acceptable
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/07/17/commentary-refusing-service-in-the-name-of-religion-is-never-acceptable/

Fighting faith-based discrimination
http://www.wisconsingazette.com/national-gaze/fighting-faith-based-discrimination.html

NJ Governor Signs Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy

In a note accompanying the bill, Christie said he believes people are born gay and that homosexuality is not a sin. That view is inconsistent with his Catholic faith, which teaches that homosexual acts are sins.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nj-governor-sign-ban-gay-conversion-therapy-19997560

See also...

Liberty Counsel vows to block implementation of NJ bill prohibiting sexual orientation 'conversion therapy'
http://www.goddiscussion.com/113949/liberty-counsel-vows-to-block-implementation-of-nj-bill-prohibiting-sexual-orientation-conversion-therapy/

Pentagon extends military spouse benefits to same-sex married couples

"It is now the Department's policy to treat all married military personnel equally," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a memo.

MORE: http://www.minnpost.com/christian-science-monitor/2013/08/pentagon-extends-military-spouse-benefits-same-sex-married-couples

FRC Calls on Military to Stop Taxpayer-Funded Bonuses for Same-Sex Weddings

A socially conservative policy organization based in Washington, D.C. is calling on the United States military to stop providing paid leave for personnel to have same-sex weddings.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/frc-calls-on-military-to-stop-taxpayer-funded-bonuses-for-same-sex-weddings-102750/#TAyHfLoHgyRxDRLT.99

Tennessee church bans family after daughter wins same sex benefits from town

After 60 years of attending a Tennessee church, a family in Collegedale has been exiled because they supported their daughter while she fought for same sex benefits from the town where she worked as a police detective.

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/21/tennessee-church-bans-family-after-daughter-wins-same-sex-benefits-from-town/

Bryan Fischer: 'Christians are the new blacks' because of LGBT ‘Jim Crow laws’

American Family Association (AFA) Director of Issues Analysis Bryan Fischer says that a New Mexico Supreme Court unanimous decision finding that a wedding photographer violated the state's Human Rights Act by discriminating against a same sex couple proves that "Christians are the new blacks."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/23/bryan-fischer-christians-are-the-new-blacks-because-of-lgbt-jim-crow-laws/

Disabled gay veteran booed by anti-LGBT protestors in San Antonio

A crowd led by several pastors rallied in front of City Hall before moving to the City Council chambers, where over 200 people had signed up to speak for and against the proposed changes. At the rally, Pastor Charles Flowers beseeched the Council to "vote 'no' to this ordinance, and 'yes' to the reign of the kingdom of God."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/16/disabled-gay-veteran-booed-by-anti-lgbt-protestors-in-san-antonio/

Rush Limbaugh: 'If You Believe in God, Then Intellectually You Cannot Believe in Manmade Global Warming'

Rush Limbaugh made the argument on his show yesterday that you can't believe in both God and manmade global warming, an idea many evangelical Christians have long embraced.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/13/rush-limbaugh-if-you-believe-in-god-then-intellectually-you-cannot-believe-in-manmade-global-warming/

Near-death experiences are 'electrical surge in dying brain'

In the 30-second period after the animal's hearts stopped beating, they measured a sharp increase in high-frequency brainwaves called gamma oscillations.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23672150

There's a Measles Outbreak at Vaccine-Denying Pastor Kenneth Copeland's Fort Worth Church

The epicenter of the outbreak is Tarrant County, which has now confirmed 10 cases, and the epicenter of cases in Tarrant County seems to be at Eagle Mountain International Church.

MORE: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/08/theres_a_measles_outbreak_at_v.php

See also...

More Michigan parents refusing to vaccinate, worrying health officials
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1592819793/More-Michigan-parents-refusing-to-vaccinate-worrying-health-officials

Vermont ranks high on list of non-medical immunization exemptions
http://www.vermontbiz.com/news/august/vermont-ranks-high-list-non-medical-immunization-exemptions

Ohio the only one of 50 states without immunization law for youngest kids
http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/310234/3/Investigator-Ohio-pre-schoolers-at-special-risk

'Unbelieving' WLC - William Lane Craig exposed by Lawrence Krauss

During his introductory speech, Krauss candidly exposed a number of falsehoods and besmirchments recently propagated by Craig in response to the upcoming film, The Unbelievers. The film (scheduled for release later this year) follows famed scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss as they travel the world promoting science and reason.

MORE: http://www.richarddawkins.net/news_articles/2013/8/13/-unbelieving-wlc-william-lane-craig-exposed-by-lawrence-krauss

Creationist Darek Isaacs Calls Dragons Real, Says They Lived In Biblical Times (VIDEO)

The idea that dragons once walked the earth among humans--or even existed at all--sounds like something from a fairy tale. But Darek Isaacs, a creationist author and filmmaker, is now on record arguing that dragons were real creatures that lived thousands of years ago.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/creationist-darek-isaacs-dragons-biblical-times_n_3762395.html

Is Ken Ham's Creation "Museum" Going Broke?

Not only do they not have enough money they don't even have a building permit AND the free money offered by the fools that run Kentucky tourism expires in a few short months (May 2014).

MORE: http://www.skepticmoney.com/is-ken-hams-creation-museum-going-broke/

See also...

Kentucky's Creation Museum aims at wider audience
http://www.thestarpress.com/viewart/20130811/NEWS06/308110044/Creation-Museum

Zip Line Evangelism: Creation Museum Opens ‘Non-Religious’ Exhibits To Expand Audience
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand

This Anti-Evolution Video May Be Worse Than the One with Ray Comfort's Banana

Get ready to cringe.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/13/this-anti-evolution-video-may-be-worse-than-the-one-with-ray-comforts-banana/

Evolution May Be Questioned In New Texas Textbooks

A political nonprofit has filed a petition with the state alleging that creationists on the State Board of Education are planning to adopt textbooks that discount the theory of evolution.

MORE: http://www.tpr.org/post/evolution-may-be-questioned-new-texas-textbooks

Anthropologists Study the Genesis of Reciprocity in Food Sharing

"The meta-analysis clearly established that there is reciprocity in sharing both among humans and among other primates that remained significant even after controlling for other factors such as kinship, dominance relationships, and spatial proximity," said Jaeggi, a postdoctoral student in anthropology at UCSB. "Based on our meta-analysis of existing studies, we were able to find no significant differences between humans, monkeys, and apes."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130820094643.htm

Human Brains Are Hardwired for Empathy, Friendship

Coan and his U.Va. colleagues conducted the study with 22 young adult participants who underwent fMRI scans of their brains during experiments to monitor brain activity while under threat of receiving mild electrical shocks to themselves or to a friend or stranger. The researchers found, as they expected, that regions of the brain responsible for threat response -- the anterior insula, putamen and supramarginal gyrus -- became active under threat of shock to the self. In the case of threat of shock to a stranger, the brain in those regions displayed little activity. However when the threat of shock was to a friend, the brain activity of the participant became essentially identical to the activity displayed under threat to the self.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130822085804.htm

One Mummy, Many Coffins: Egyptians Intended to Transform Deceased from Human to Deity

The Egyptian elite was buried in a coffin placed inside another coffin -- in ensembles of up to eight coffins. This was intended to ensure the transformation of the deceased from human to deity, according to Anders Bettum, Egyptologist.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130823091144.htm

Voyager 1 Has Left the Solar System

Voyager 1 appears to have at long last left our solar system and entered interstellar space, says a University of Maryland-led team of researchers.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130815133726.htm

On the Trail of Dark Energy: Physicists Propose Higgs Boson 'Portal'

One of the biggest mysteries in contemporary particle physics and cosmology is why dark energy, which is observed to dominate energy density of the universe, has a remarkably small (but not zero) value. This value is so small, it is perhaps 120 orders of magnitude less than would be expected based on fundamental physics.

--snip--

"We demonstrate that the simplest small mixing, related to the ratios of the scale at which electroweak physics operates, and a possible Grand Unified Scale, produces a possible contribution to the vacuum energy today of precisely the correct order of magnitude to account for the observed dark energy," Krauss explained. "Our paper demonstrates that a very small energy scale can at least be naturally generated within the context of a very simple extension of the standard model of particle physics."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130810063645.htm

20 percent of Irish college students are atheist, only 37 percent are Catholic

Shockingly, while less than 60% of respondents considered themselves Catholic; the second group to top the scale were Atheists at 20%.

MORE: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/20-percent-of-Irish-college-students-are-atheist-only-37-percent-are-Catholic-219386881.html

Danish Muslim Leader Regrets Role In Cartoon Rage

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- A Danish Muslim leader who seven years ago traveled the Muslim world fueling the uproar over newspaper caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad is back in the headlines in Denmark after doing an about-face on the issue.

Once a leading critic of the Danish cartoons, which sparked fiery protests in Muslim countries, Lebanese-born Ahmad Akkari now says the Jyllands-Posten newspaper had the right to print them.

MORE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=210481233

American runner criticizes Russia's anti-gay law after winning medal in Moscow

After Nick Symmonds won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, the American distance runner became the first foreign athlete to openly condemn Russia's anti-gay law on Russian soil.

MORE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/gay-in-maryland/gay-matters/bs-gm-american-runner-criticizes-russias-antigay-law-after-winning-medal-in-moscow-20130814,0,6451739.story

See also...

FIFA asks 2018 World Cup host Russia to explain anti-gay law
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/gay-in-maryland/gay-matters/bs-gm-fifa-asks-2018-world-cup-host-russia-to-explain-antigay-law-20130813,0,3700117.story

Russians launch dedicated center to fight 'atheist extremism'

A group of activists connected with the Russian Orthodox Church are setting up a center against atheist extremism which, according to them, is promoted mainly by foreign-sponsored organizations.

MORE: http://rt.com/politics/atheist-extremism-russia-fight-789/

Icelanders Protest Evangelist Franklin Graham By Reserving Tickets To His Festival With No Intention Of Showing Up

Shortly after tickets became available Wednesday, users on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit began spreading the word that protesters were reserving seats for the event, but not planning to show up. Protesters say the goal is to leave the controversial Graham with an empty venue when he appears at Reykjavík's Laugardalshöll arena next month. One Icelandic software developer, Elvar Thormar, wrote on Facebook that he'd reserved 500 tickets.

MORE: http://www.ibtimes.com/icelanders-protest-evangelist-franklin-graham-reserving-tickets-his-festival-no-intention-showing

Schismatic African priests want a pope to call their own

NAIROBI, KENYA (RNS) Schismatic Roman Catholic priests, who left the church to claim their right to marry, are now asking for an "African pope" to lead them.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/13/schismatic-african-priests-want-a-pope-to-call-their-own/

Cameroon's president orders Pentecostal churches closed

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities, citing criminal practices organized by Pentecostal pastors that threaten the security of the West African nation.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/14/world/africa/cameroon-churches/index.html

Anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar shot dead

A staunch fighter for the cause of eradication of inhuman rituals and superstitions, Dabholkar was also in the forefront of the campaign to persuade Maharashtra government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill — opposed by certain sections of Warkari sect — in the state legislature.

MORE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Anti-superstition-activist-Narendra-Dabholkar-shot-dead/articleshow/21930127.cms

Buddhist mob attacks mosque in Sri Lankan capital

The new mosque was just a thousand feet away (300 meters) from a Buddhist temple, and many Buddhist worshipers had objected to the proximity.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/11/world/asia/sri-lanka-violence/index.html

Zanzibar: Acid attack on two British women volunteer teachers

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but it comes against a backdrop of rising extremist Islamist sentiment in the area.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/world/africa/tanzania-uk-acid-attack/index.html

Nigeria mosque attack leaves at least 44 dead, police official says

It's not clear who was behind Sunday's massacre, but the militant Islamist group Boko Haram -- which has staged attacks in the same region before -- issued a video around the same time boasting that it was gaining in strength.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/13/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html

Iranian Politician 'Too Pretty' For Office?

My Two Weeks With the Jihadists

Understanding the path to Islamist militancy.

MORE: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/08/my-two-weeks-with-the-jihadists/278708/

40 die in attacks in Pakistani city on religious holidays

A gun assault and a separate bombing have killed at least 40 people in two days in the city of Quetta in Pakistan.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html

Twin bombings rock mosques in Tripoli, Lebanon

Lebanon has been the scene of increasing sectarian violence recently, including battles between supporters and opponents of the regime in Lebanon's neighbor to the east, which is currently torn by a bloody civil war.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/world/meast/lebanon-tripoli-blast/index.html

Lebanon car bomb death toll rises to 22

Many Lebanese see the attack as another indication that Syria's civil war is spilling over its borders. Lebanon is divided along the same sectarian lines as its neighbor.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/meast/lebanon-blast/index.html

17 dead in shootings, explosions across Iraq

July was the deadliest month in Iraq in the last five years since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

See also...

Car bombs in Baghdad; 25 dead
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

13 dead, 22 others wounded in Iraq bombings, officials say
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/14/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Suicide bombing at Iraq coffee shop; 12 dead
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Iraq's deadliest month: Who's behind the bloodshed?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/meast/iraq-deadliest-month-damon/index.html

Bombings, bloodshed mar end of Ramadan in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/10/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Suicide Bombing in Park, Attacks Kill 36 in Iraq
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-26-killed-iraq-suicide-bombing-20051476

'Horrible': Christian churches across Egypt stormed, torched

The night before, a mob -- chanting against Coptic Christians such as El Sayeh and calling for Egypt to become an "Islamic state" -- had torched and looted the Virgin Mary Church.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/meast/egypt-church-attacks/index.html

See also...

Standoff at Cairo mosque-turned-makeshift morgue follows deadly clashes
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html

Ravaged Churches Reveal Sectarian Split Feeding Egypt's Violence
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/19001-ravaged-churches-reveal-sectarian-split-feeding-egypts-violence

Political Islam on the defensive across the Middle East
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/20/political-islam-on-the-defensive-across-the-middle-east/

New Israeli settlement plan casts shadow on talks with Palestinians

"I think this whole series of settlement expansion, land confiscation will turn any peace initiative into a mockery, any negotiations become a travesty -- there is no possibility of peace with such actions and plans," she said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/10/world/meast/mideast-palestinians-israelis/index.html

Bob's Notes: Matthew 20

Why Am I An Atheist?

The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, answers the question: Why am I an atheist?

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/04/why-am-i-an-atheist/

State Department Launches Office Of Faith-Based Community Initiatives

The new office will set Department policy on engagement with faith-based communities and will work in conjunction with bureaus and posts to reach out to those communities to advance the Department's diplomacy and development objectives. It will also work closely with faith communities to ensure that their voices are heard in the foreign policy process, including through continued collaboration with the Department's religion and foreign policy working group. The office will collaborate regularly with other government officials and offices focused on religious issues, including the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and the Department's Office of International Religious Freedom.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/state-department-office-faith-based-community-initiatives-_n_3720655.html

See also...

Remarks at the Launch of the Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/08/212781.htm

Slow-walking the Faith-Based Rules
http://marksilk.religionnews.com/2013/08/06/slow-walking-the-faith-based-rules/

Obama Administration Files Amicus Brief Backing Legislative Prayer

The Obama administration has taken sides in a significant new test case on the separation between church and state, urging the Supreme Court to allow prayers at the beginning of government meetings. The administration lays out its arguments in a newly filed amicus brief in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case that questions whether the prayer practices at town council meetings of a small town in upstate New York violate the First Amendment. The case could drastically expand the types of legislative prayer practices considered constitutional.

MORE: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/08/08/obama-administration-files-amicus-brief-backing-legislative-prayer/

See also...

Uncensored clergy prayers should be allowed before town meetings, 23 states argue in SCOTUS brief
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/uncensored_citizen_prayers_should_be_allowed_before_town_meetings_23_states/

Bad Brief: 23 State Attorneys General Tell Supreme Court That Tradition Justifies Coercive Government Prayer
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bad-brief-23-state-attorneys-general-tell-supreme-court-that-tradition

N.Y. town prayers at issue as Supreme Court takes up religion for 1st time in 30 years
http://mcalesternews.com/offbeatnews/x596958214/N-Y-town-prayers-at-issue-as-Supreme-Court-takes-up-religion-for-1st-time-in-30-years

Prayer Panacea?: Ky. Group Says 'Inspirational Messages' In Public Schools Will Solve Several Ills

A Religious Right group in Kentucky is calling on parents to demand the right to deliver "inspirational messages" during public school assemblies, and they're providing some interesting "facts" to make their case.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-panacea-ky-group-says-inspirational-messages-in-public-schools-will

Prayer And The Power Company: Alabama Official Stands By Controversial Invocation Before Regulatory Meeting

Twinkle Cavanaugh, the elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, said she stands by a prayer that was delivered last month at a service commission meeting, despite a poll taken by the news site AL.com that found 79 percent of voters think it wasn't appropriate in that context.

Remember, this is Alabama, folks. Most people there aren't exactly big fans of church-state separation, so that means the prayer must have been really bad. And it was.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-and-the-power-company-alabama-official-stands-by-controversial

Bus Tour Aims to Help Save Colorado National Day of Prayer

Mobilizing support is crucial as amicus brief filings are now being allowed after the Colorado Supreme Court recently accepted Attorney General John Suthers' petition for Certiorari to appeal the Colorado Court of Appeals' May 2012 decision that struck down governor's prayer proclamations.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/bus-tour-to-help-save-colorado-national-day-of-prayer-101506/

U.S. military document teaches atheism is a suicide risk

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said this week that it was planning to sue the U.S. military after discovering that Marine Corps training documents teach suicide attempt warning signs include "lack or loss of spiritual faith."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/07/u-s-military-document-teaches-atheism-is-a-suicide-risk/

See also...

The U.S. military has a problem with atheists
http://theweek.com/article/index/247830/the-us-military-has-a-problem-with-atheists

AHA Challenges "So Help Me God" in Air Force Oath, Officials Agree to Offer Secular Version

Earlier this week, a U.S. Air Force Officer Trainee demanded that he not be forced to recite an oath that contains "so help me God" during his graduation ceremony this week.

MORE: http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2013-08-aha-challenges-so-help-me-god-in-air-force-oath-offi

See also...

Air Force Offers Secular Oath To Trainees After Atheist Group Challenges 'So Help Me God'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/06/air-force-secular-oath_n_3712926.html

Oath Oppression: It Makes No Sense To Coerce People To Swear To A God They Don't Believe In
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/oath-oppression-it-makes-no-sense-to-coerce-people-to-swear-to-a-god-they

On The Way to Thor's Hammer...

An interesting thing happened at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in July (2013), to little fanfare and even less media coverage; the VA approved the addition of the "Hammer of Thor" to their list of symbols allowed to be placed on the tombstones at the grave sites of veterans who are buried in veteran cemeteries.  The newly approved symbol is intended for the practitioners of a form of paganism that worships the Norse pantheon, including Thor.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rockbeyondbelief/2013/08/06/on-the-way-to-thors-hammer/

Dangerous Wave: School Voucher Tsunami Threatens To Swamp Public Education

The surge of vouchers in states nationwide threatens to become a tidal wave as 13 states either expanded or created voucher or neo-voucher programs in 2013.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/dangerous-wave-school-voucher-tsunami-threatens-to-swamp-public-education

Dispelling the myth of a 'Christian nation'

Culture warriors, pseudo historians and opportunistic politicians have spent the last several decades peddling the myth that America was founded as a "Christian nation."

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/08/07/dispelling-the-myth-of-a-christian-nation/

Washington, D.C. Passes Law to Allow Atheists To Officiate Wedding Ceremonies

The act will grant bestow temporary "Civil celebrant" status on secular Americans who perform marriage ceremonies.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/06/washington-d-c-passes-law-to-allow-atheists-to-officiate-wedding-ceremonies/

Oklahoma Newspaper Features Atheists in the Bible Belt

The cover story of this week’s Oklahoma Gazette is all about how atheists are coming out in the Bible Belt and it features our friends Kai Tancredi, Red McCall, and Wolf-Blitzer-embarrasser Rebecca Vitsmun.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/08/oklahoma-newspaper-features-atheists-in-the-bible-belt/

See also...

Atheism increasingly finds a home in the Bible Belt
http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-18940-atheist.html

Chris Kluwe to speak at American Atheists convention

Raiders punter Chris Kluwe, one of the NFL's most outspoken players, now plans to speak out on another issue that may cause some controversy.

MORE: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/07/chris-kluwe-to-speak-at-american-atheists-convention/

Former Congressman Barney Frank Comes Out as an Atheist

When host Bill Maher commented on Frank's stint as a congressman and a liberal icon, "...you could come on this show, and sit next to a pot smoking atheist, and it wouldn't bother you." Frank then gamely asked which pot-smoking atheist he was referring to, while pointing to and from Maher and himself. Though he has long been known to be Jewish, it is only now that Frank was able to be open about his atheism.

MORE: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/barney-frank-comes-out-as-an-atheist

See also...

Former Congressman Barney Frank Finally Comes Out as an Atheist
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/03/former-congressman-barney-frank-finally-comes-out-as-an-atheist/

American Atheists, Inc., Challenges Filmmaker to Release Unedited Interviews

American Atheists, Inc., today tweeted to its 31,000 followers for producer Ray Comfort to release unedited footage of interviews he conducted with four evolutionary scientists for his new film.

MORE: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1017805

Atheist Group Pens Complaint to Ala. University With 'Faith-Based' Housing

A Wisconsin-based atheist organization has sent a letter of complaint to a public academic institution in Alabama over its soon-to-be opened "faith-based" housing program.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-group-pens-complaint-to-ala-university-with-faith-based-housing-101687/#z68eQKLbj2yiEIo3.99

See also...

Troy University's faith-based dorms violate First Amendment and fair-housing laws, group says (updated, video)
http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/08/troys_faith-based_dorms_violat.html

Parents chose faith over medicine; 2 die

Murder charges stand for faith-healing parents after a second of the couple's children died.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/crime/2013/08/08/ac-pkg-tuchman-faith-healing.cnn.html

Leah Remini Files Missing Person Report For Scientology Leader's Wife, Shelly Miscavige

Actress Leah Remini has not only split from the Church of Scientology, but she is also taking action against the controversial group by looking for answers about leader David Miscavige's wife, Shelly.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/leah-remini-missing-person-report-scientology_n_3728080.html

Pat Robertson: Video Game Murder Basically Like Killing Someone in Real Life

With violent video games, books, TV, movies, "you lose your sensitivity to God," Robertson says.

MORE: http://mobile.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/06/pat_robertson_playing_violent_video_games_is_basically_like_real_murder.html?original_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.c

Judge Rules Church Can Protect Funds From Abuse Settlements

The decision was made based on legal requirements outlined by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that state the government may not put a "substantial burden" on religious entities.

MORE: http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2013/08/01/judge-rules-church-can-protect-funds-from-abuse-settlements/

Catholic priest charged with ALMOST getting a blow-job behind a Boston cemetery

The report also said Coyle had been spotted a dozen times in the past circling a neighbourhood known for prostitution, noting, in particular, an incident in November. Police had seen Coyle in his Equinox circling the area of Linden Street by Union Street and stopped him. When police asked why he had been circling an area known for prostitution, he denied doing so and went home, the report said.

MORE: http://freethinker.co.uk/2013/08/06/catholic-priest-charged-with-almost-getting-a-blow-job-behind-a-boston-cemetery/

See also...

Boston archdiocese official on administrative leave after allegedly offering money to prostitute in Lowell
http://boston.com/metrodesk/2013/08/05/boston-archdiocese-official-charged-with-hiring-prostitute/zjl1b5uUo16AkZ5E8NO1oL/story.html

An atheist's defense of marriage act

I've been married for many years, although not particularly enthusiastic about it-until now. Don't misunderstand. Sharon and I have had a loving, committed relationship for decades. But recent consciousness-raising arguments over same-sex marriage changed my overall opinion about marriage. You might even say that support for gay marriage became my personal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act).

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/08/05/an-atheists-defense-of-marriage-act/

ACLU: Not renting to couple likely violates Iowa law

"We have a civil rights statute that states 'There can be no discrimination against people based on their race, religion, national origin, color, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion," said Randall Wilson of the ACLU of Iowa.

MORE: http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/aclu-not-renting-to-couple-likely-violates-iowa-law/-/9357080/21376356/-/iv4hx6z/-/index.html?hpt=us_bn9

US Now Giving Equal Treatment to Visas for Same-Sex Spouses

Secretary of State John Kerry has announced a policy change with immediate effect which allows the State Department to process visas for same-sex spouses in the same manner that it considers the application of heterosexual spouses.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/us-now-giving-equal-treatment-to-visas-for-same-sex-spouses-101512/

State Legislation Restricting Use of Foreign or Religious Law

Between 2010 and 2012, lawmakers in at least 32 states introduced bills to restrict the circumstances in which state courts can consider foreign or religious laws in their decisions.

MORE: http://features.pewforum.org/sharia-law-map/

See also...

More states move to ban foreign law in courts
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/04/states-ban-foreign-law/2602511/

All Corporations Go to Heaven

The Supreme Court will soon decide if CEOs can impose their religious convictions on the people who work for them.

MORE: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/08/do_corporations_have_religious_beliefs_the_supreme_court_will_need_to_decide.html

Undercover footage reveals more crazy “crisis pregnancy center” lies

"If you have an abortion, you will see that child's soul again in the future," said one counselor.

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/undercover_footage_reveals_more_crazy_crisis_pregnancy_center_lies/singleton/?utm_source=nar.al&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=FB

In Theory: Is the Internet the enemy of faith?

The Internet can be a source of information and illumination, but for some it's also a cause for worry, and in some cases, a loss of faith, as one Mormon man discovered.

MORE: http://www.burbankleader.com/opinion/tn-blr-me-in-theory-is-the-internet-the-enemy-of-faith-20130806,0,7056526.story

History Curriculum Backed by Bill Gates is Criticized by Creationists for Teaching Accurate History

The Big History Project doesn’t actually take a position on God's existence. It does, however, promote scientifically-accepted knowledge of the natural world.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/04/history-curriculum-backed-by-bill-gates-is-criticized-by-creationists-for-teaching-accurate-history/

Ball State University Bans Teaching Intelligent Design In Science Classes

In a statement released Wednesday, Gora said "intelligent design and creation science do not qualify as science," and that it would no longer be a part of the university's science classes.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/ball-state-intelligent-design_n_3688857.html?fb_action_ids=216290805192300&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22216290805192300%22%3A548749461827895%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22216290805192300%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

A Bad Idea By Design: Pa. Lawmakers Revive Creationism Push

Eight years after Americans United successfully challenged the Dover School District's attempt to push creationism in public schools, lawmakers are at it again.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-bad-idea-by-design-pa-lawmakers-revive-creationism-push

Loch Ness Monster removed from Biology textbooks by Christian publisher

Students at Eternity Christian Academy, as well as Christian homeschoolers, currently learn that Nessie debunks Evolution.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/113727/loch-ness-monster-removed-from-biology-textbooks-by-christian-publisher/

Selfish traits not favoured by evolution, study shows

This challenges a previous theory which suggested it was preferable to put yourself first.

Instead, it pays to be co-operative, shown in a model of "the prisoner's dilemma", a scenario of game theory - the study of strategic decision-making.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23529849

Likes breed likes: Study finds 'herding' behavior among commenters

They found that the single positive vote often created a snowball effect, leading to increased visibility and an overall greater amount of up votes -- 25 percent on average, to be exact. Meanwhile, comments given a bad start also had an amplified response -- both negative and positive. These "corrective" up votes kept such comments from being totally buried.

MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/likes-breed-likes-study-finds-herding-behavior-among-commenters-6C10879211

Fireballs are flying -- and Perseid meteor shower hasn't even peaked

The Perseid meteor shower is still days away from hitting its peak, but a NASA camera network has already captured video of fireballs from the annual night sky light show.

MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/fireballs-are-flying-perseid-meteor-shower-hasnt-even-peaked-6C10880962

Russia's Anti-Gay Pogrom Has Disturbing Parallels to Medieval Anti-Semitism

Recently, a totalitarian law passed in Russia that prohibitsPunch Russias Anti Gay Pogrom Has Disturbing Parallels to Medieval Anti Semitism  words or actions considered remotely positive about gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals. It labels any accurate information or support for the LGBT community "propaganda." Conservative legislators realized that open and free discussions about LGBT people inevitably lead to equality. So, this draconian measure was intended to preemptively hijack the discussion, silence the more persuasive argument, and indoctrinate the population without opposition.

MORE: http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressrelease/2013/08/36669/

See also...

Protests, boycott calls as anger grows over Russia anti-gay propaganda laws
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/01/world/europe/russia-gay-rights-controversy/index.html

'Pastafarian' Man Wins Religious Liberty Battle To Wear A Pasta Strainer On His Government ID Card

Lukas Novy says he's a member of the "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster," a satirical faith which teaches that a creature composed of pasta and meatballs "created the world much as it exists today," that pirates "were peaceful explorers and it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today," and that beer is good. In observance of this faith, Novy, a resident of the Czech Republic, insisted that he be allowed to wear a pasta sieve on his head while being photographed for an official government ID. And he succeeded.

MORE: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/08/02/2399191/pastafarian-man-wins-religious-liberty-battle-to-wear-a-pasta-sieve-on-his-government-id-card/

Men arrested for witch accusation and abuse in Nepal

A widow was accused of being witch, beaten up and forced to eat human excrement by her neighbours in Bishrampur VDC of Parsa district on Tuesday evening.

MORE: http://doubtfulnews.com/2013/08/men-arrested-for-witch-accusation-and-abuse-in-nepal/?utm_source=feedly

The Spirit Sweeps Over Bali

Charismatic churches surge in growth amid a devout—and sometimes violent—Hindu majority.

MORE: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/july-august/spirit-sweeps-over-bali.html?paging=off

Pentecostal Churches on the Rise in Predominantly Secular Uruguay

The Pentecostal movement is gaining steady growth in Uruguay amid its reputation as Latin America's most secular country, helping the number of evangelicals rise from 2 percent a decade ago to 6 percent of its current 3.3 million population.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/pentecostal-churches-on-the-rise-in-predominantly-secular-uruguay-101466/

Zanzibar: Acid attack on two British women volunteer teachers

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but it comes against a backdrop of rising extremist Islamist sentiment in the area.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/world/africa/tanzania-uk-acid-attack/index.html

Arab atheists, though few, inch out of the shadows

An openly self-described atheist is an extreme rarity in the Arab world, where the Muslim majority is on the whole deeply conservative. It's socially tolerated to not be actively religious, to decide not to pray or carry out other acts of faith, or to have secular attitudes. But to outright declare oneself an atheist can lead to ostracism by family and friends, and if too public can draw retaliation from Islamist hard-liners or even authorities.

MORE: http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/08/03/arab-atheists-though-few-inch-out-shadows.html

Muslim Leader Calls on US, Obama to Stop Ignoring Saudi Arabia's Religious Freedom Violations

The Saudi government defends its repression by pointing to radical Muslims in the country, Jasser alleged. "The monarchy claims to be sort of victims of this conservative movement," he said. "They say 'if we move too quickly, it will be taken over by an Islamic regime.'" To back up this claim, they would point to Egypt (before the recent revolution) and Iran as examples.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/muslim-leader-calls-on-us-obama-to-stop-ignoring-saudi-arabias-religious-freedom-violations-101403/

30 killed as bombs rock Baghdad

Iraq is in a period of seemingly relentless violence, much of it stemming from discord between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. July was the deadliest month in Iraq since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/06/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

See also...

Casualties mount at alarming rate in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/02/world/meast/iraq-attacks/index.html

At least 13 killed in key Iraqi cities
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/05/world/asia/iraq-unrest/index.html